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Comment by scribu | Hacker News Reader

I switched to a split keyboard last year (Kinesis Freestyle2). While it's definitely better than a flat keyboard, it's still incredibly awkward to execute some basic combos with one hand. Chief example: Cmd + T.

I'm still waiting for someone to mass-produce the http://ergodox.org/ - here you can press all the modifier keys with your thumbs!

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These guys are mass-producing ergodox - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/ergodox-ez-an-incredible-...

I recently got my keyboard

I bought and assembled an ergodox some time ago. I found the key layout to be too esoteric for me to adapt my workflows to. The thumb cluster while a good thought is not as well positioned as on an Kinesis advantage to be extremely useful. I never ended finding a layout I liked.

It's been sitting in my parts drawer for a while, I'm not sure how to part ways with specialty items like that.

The kinesis freestyle + vip accessory was my daily driver for years but it's a bit mushy and the build quality is questionable (I went through 3 boards, including one DoA). My new one is the Matias Ergo pro. Quite similar, but better in almost every way, except price.

I used a Kinesis Freestyle (1st edition) for five or six years before building an Ergodox. If you're having trouble with certain chords, qihqi's suggestion is really the way to go: you need to train yourself to use both hands. I thought I would like having modifier keys on the thumb cluster of the Ergodox, but ultimately found it very uncomfortable. So learning to two-hand basic chords on a split keyboard will help you out regardless which specific keyboard or key layout you eventually use.

Thanks for sharing your experience with Ergodox.

Usually, I want to press Cmd + T when I'm in the browser, so my right hand is usually on the mouse. That's why I want to do it with a single hand.

(I've tried browser plugins that mimic Vim keybindings, but I still need to reach for the mouse a lot: browsing menus, etc.)

There's also http://shop.keyboard.io who (from my limited experience on demo keyboards) have _much_ better thumb cluster design & positioning than the ergodox... Looking forward to manufacturing happeing for that.

I use an ergodox and recommend it highly. Massdrop has drops of the "ergodox infinity" from time to time, which is assembled except for the keys (you'll need to solder them in yourself, but that's a lot less work than building the original design)

It's almost vaporware at this point, but I'm still waiting for AcidFire's Axios[0], which is based on the ergodox design but with very carefully thought out improvements (adjustable thumb clusters and built in tenting being the main two)

[0]: https://geekhack.org/index.php?topic=44940.0

You can always press Cmd and T with different hands... (assuming there is Cmd in both side of your board).

Some PC-style keyboards only have one Windows key, with the right-hand equivalent being the Application key. So you only get one command key in OS X.

Fortunately, you can use Karabiner (https://pqrs.org/osx/karabiner/ - formerly known as KeyRemap4Macbook) to turn the application key into another copy of the command key.

Took the words out of my mouth. You've gotta teach yourself to do this on a split keyboard.

I don't have too much trouble with Cmd/Ctrl T (although something like Ctrl+Shift+6 is really awkward) but I agree an extra key under the spacebar for the thumbs would be a great addition to the Freestyle 2.

Have you considered remapping your caps lock key?

I remapped mine to Ctrl and after some acclimatisation it was a lot comfier.

I'm a Vim user, so Caps Lock is already assigned to Escape. :)

I use xcape [1] to have the best of both worlds: a quick press-release tap means Escape (great for vim), while holding it down makes it act as Ctrl (great for shell and other stuff). It's wonderful :)

[1] https://github.com/alols/xcape

You might like to try to map a Ctrl key to the Capslock and use Ctrl + [ as ESC.

Ergodox ez is available now, a prebuild ergodox. I like mine.

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